The key to being successful is simply being persistent. I used to have two fairly big YouTube channels, and administrating both taught me that lesson.
You must NEVER think "Oh well, screw this!", because that way you'll fail 100%.
Instead, the longer and harder you try, the bigger your chances of success become.
I don't think using bots is a good idea, for the reasons you mentioned. That's very reasonable.
Good luck furthermore, and NEVER GIVE UP!!!
PS: Your Wayne's World avatar fits the whole aspect of how success works. :D
You are right! I get about 1-2 new followers with each of my post! You just need to consistently upload. I have figured out that 1-2 video a day is about most efficient way, as uploading more just starts to look like spam and people don't want to spend all their time and power to your posts.